Total mercury content in Parasol Mushroom Macrolepiota procera from various sites in Poland

Concentrations of total mercury were determined in the fruiting bodies and underlying soil substrate to Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) collected from various sites in Poland in 1994-2000. Mean mercury concentrations of the caps varied between $1100 \pm 240$ and $4900\pm 3100$ ng/g dry matter (total variation from 50 to 13000 ng/g), while of the stalks were between $530\pm 120$ and $2800\pm 1300$ ng/g (50-6200 ng/g). The BCFs of mercury varied, depending on the site between $20\pm 1$ and $220\pm 140$ (total range 17-720) for the caps and between $11\pm1$ and $110\pm 97$ (total range 9-450) for the stalks. The mercury concentrations of the caps and stalks with exception of the one sampling site examined were independent of the soit substrate concentration what suggests a species-specific ability of M. procera to pick-up mercury

Relationships between selenium and mercury in the fruiting bodies of some mushrooms growing in Poland

The relationships between concentrations of total selenium and mercury were investigated for the whole fruiting bodies, caps and/or stalks of King bolete (Boletus edulis), Brown birch scaber stalk (Leccinum scabrum), Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera), Poison pax (Paxillus involutus) and Fly agaric (Amatiita niuscaria) collected from the various sites in Poland. The mushroom species examined varied largely due to the contents and proportions between the total selenium and mercury concentrations, what seems to indicate on species-dependent strategy of co-uptake and accumulation of these elements